Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-07-01

recommend her for oterls>, -
and went to my friend, Mf:SSs@,,lA $3.50
Douglass of the Internal Reyenns- '-eau'
and told him that must have a oiegHsIt
q lady, if possible. He told me that il ~
hardly possibly, he thought, but he would sec
if there was a vacancy. told him the story.
I said 81 don't want to give any recommen-
dation to be put on fle because it would call
attention to the lady's name, and might be
unpleasant to her." Like true gentleman
he said Every well, send the lady in with your
card and PHI see that she has work il my
bureau The next day Mrs. Mumford called,
gave her my card and told her where to go
! and present it; and she got clerkship which
she filed very creditably, until the coming in
of Hayes administration.
Upon that event, as was usual I suppose,
the lists of clerks were looked over to find
places for the friends of the new administra-
ton, and as Mrs. Mumford appeared on the
list without any influential man behind her,
she, was, of course, discharged. Meanwhile,
as she had told me, Gas saw her perhaps once
a year, she had disposed of her property in
Wytheville brought her children to Washing
ton and sent them to school and supported
them by her earnings. I learned of the fact
of her discharge from her. and she was in
great sorrow. Whereupon I went to the
Treasury Department, and asked the appoint
ing officer to restore her. met with deci-
ded rebuff. [ was no more popular with
Hayes administration than it was with the
people. went to the Secretary of the Inte-
Postmaster General Keys, a Confederate
Brigadier," and laid down on him, told him
the whole story, and said that she was one of
his friends. He appointed her to place in
his department. which she filed very accep-
tably, believe, through that administration
and afterwards. At least, she never COM
| planned to me of any trouble. and have
known nothing of her affairs since, until I
heard Of her death.
I saw in the Southern newspapers not un-
frequently, that she was bringing up her chill
dren and instructing them in a 0endett0
against me. Indeed, it went SO far that when
I was at the Chicago convention in 'S4, it was
| published in Chicago that there was a son of
| Mumford's en- route from some Western terrific
ry to kill me, in revenge for his fathers death,
and I was advised by my friends to take great
| care to let no strange man get near me. I
| told them if lived until some one of Mrs.
| Mumford's children killed me, should reach
ripe old age, and laughed at that foolish
ness, as have occasion to laugh at much other
newspaper nonsense.
may be permitted to say further that there
is great change of feeling apparently come
over the Southern people in regard to my be-
ing justified in the execution of Mumford for
hauling down the American flag, because
saw letter of Governor Fitzhugh Lee, when
speaking Of the return of the Confederate flags
proposed by the President; in which he winds
up by saying: eff any man hauls down the
American flag let him be shot on the spot"
hope have fully answered your enquiry
I am, my dear Mr.. Dunn,
! Very truly yours,
BENZ. F. BUTLER.
Lanier Dunn, ESQ.,,
: Warm Springs, Bath Co., Va.